Running board and means for attaching the same to the roof of railway cars



C. S. RUNNING BOARD AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE SAME TO THE ROOF OFRAILWAY CARS Filed Feb. 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

nV/S 177701964515 C. S. JOHNSTON RUNNING BOAR Feb. 9, 1954 2,668,507

D AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE SAME TO THE ROOF OF RAILWAY CARS Flled Feb16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIII a INVENTOR.

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BY %WZ%% ///s' Arne/m:

I I l I Patented Feb. 9, i954 RUNNING BOARD MEANS FOR ATTACH- IN G THESAME TO THE ROOF OF RAIL- WAY CARS Charles S. Johnston, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to Transportation Specialties Co.,

'corporationof Illinois Application February 16, 1951, Serial No.211,346 1 Claims. (Cl. 1085.4)

1. invention relates to a running board and means for attaching the sameto theroof ofa railway car and has for its principal object theprovision of an improved construction which will be highly eificient inuse and economical in manufacture. V V 7 h The standard and conventionalrailway car has a roof comprising a plurality of roof plates or sectionsarranged in substantially the same plane with abutting upwardly turnededge portions covered by seam caps. Such seam cap is riveted to theupturned edge portions byrivets at spaced intervals. It is an object ofmy invention to provide a running board and a mounting means thereforwhich in addition to being so constructed as to permit the mountingboard and its attaching means to be installed as a singleunit alsoutilizes certain of the seam cap rivets for firmly connecting therunning board in position above the car roof along its longitudinalcenter line.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a running board ofthe class hereinafter described which by a simple operation can beinstalled upon the roof of a car with the minimum amount of expense andlabor.

As railway cars are subjected to tremendous strain during transit andparticularly in switching operations the several parts thereof are veryoften pushed out of alignment. This has frequently happened to the seamcaps which are disposed over the upturned edges of the roof plates ofthe car and to which seam caps I contemplate connecting the runningboard through the nedium of mounting plates. It is an object of theinvention to construct these mounting plates in a manner such that themajor portion of the plate will be spaced from the seam cap thereby tocompensate for any irregularities in the formation or shape of such capand to relieve any undue strain upon the rivets or other elementsconnecting the mounting plate to the :seam cap due to conditions otherthan the normal weight of the running board and one or'more personsthereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a running board which willbe substantially rigid and yet have a minimum of weight and one providedon its treading surface with anti-skid elesubjected thereto by theoperation of thecar.

q Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Chicago, 111., a

r The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter described and claimed. The invention will bebest understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing .thepreferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective sectional detail view of aconventional railway car roof with which my inventionmay be associated;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially online 2-2 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially online 3-3 of Fig. 5;

' Fig.4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially online 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the railway car illustrated inFig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially online 6-6 of Fig. 3.

The several objects of my invention are preferably accomplished by thepreferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings now tobe referred to.

A conventional railway car is fragmentarily illustrated at ID. Thisrailway car comprises a .roof ll made up of roof plates or sections l2having upturned edge portions I3 arranged in abutting relation withrespect to each other and covered by seam caps I4. Each seam cap 14 isrigidly andfirmly connected to its ;respective upturned edge portions l3by means of rivets [5 arranged at equal spaced intervals.

My improved running board and the means for mounting the same inposition comprises a board section l6 of foraminous material to reducethe weight thereof to a minimum. On the top or treading surface of thisboard section are anti-skid elements 11. The longitudinal edges of theboard section are bent downwardly and then inwardly to provideparallelly extending seating flanges I8. I I

The means for mounting the board section to the roof of the railway carcomprises mounting plates l9 one arranged at each end of the section andone intermediate such ends. These plates are of elongated formation andprior to the installation of the running board are welded to the boardsection l6 so that such section and tudinal edges of the running boardare substantially reinforced bythe mounting plates.

to be limited to the precise details of construc- The running boardprovides longitudinally parallelly extending spaced apart ribs 22intermediate the longitudinal edges thereof. The end mounting platespreferably abut the ends of these ribs as at 23 and are welded thereto.Where a mountingplate is utilized intermediate the ends of the runningboard such intermediate mounting plate (see Figs. 3 and 4) is providedwith slots 24 into which these reinforcing ribs are seated.

The end portions of each of the plates 13 extend outwardly anddownwardly from the longitudinal edges of the board section and theextremities 25 of such end portions are perforated for the passage ofadjacent rivets-190i the rivets- I5 for securing the seam cap to theupturned edges I3 of the roof plates.

By this arrangement I am able to utilize, in rigidly connecting themounting plates to the seam caps the same rivets which are used torigidly connect the seam; caps to the upturned edges l3 therebydispensing. with the necessity 0t drilling separate holes and usingseparate rivets. By extending the end portions of themnuntingplatesoutwardly beyond the longitudinal edges of the board section the pointof. cormection'between the mounting plate and the seam cap is locatedsubstantially far enoughoutwardly from the ion:-

gitudinal edges. of the board section soathatzno part of the boardinterferes with the riveting-0peration to connect the mounting plates tothe seam caps. By extending the end portions of the mounting platesdownwardly the intermediate portion 21 of plates: is disposed in a planefree from .contact'with the rivets of the seam cap adjacent thereto.

These end portions of the mountin :plates are ofiset laterally from theintermediate portion thereof so as to dispose the maior portion 28 ofthe plates in spaced relation with respect to the adjacent sides of theseam cap H. Such an arrangement compensates for any irregularitiesin theform of the seam cap which might result by virtue of temperature, faultyinstallation, or undue strain transmitted to the seam cap while therailway car is in transit or during switching oporation.

From the description herein, it will be particularly noted that therunning board section and its mounting plates are assembled as acomplete unit whereby they may be conveniently installed as a, unitarystructureat a great saving in iabor.

While I have illustrated the mounting plates as being attached to theseam caps, it is understood that my improved running board including itsmounting means, may be mounted to thereof of railway cars or otherconstructions. I therefore do not want to-be limitedto theprecise-formof construction of the car rooi shown in the drawings.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into efi ect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. *1, therefore, do not wish tion set forth, but desire toavail myself of-such variations and modifications as come within thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I e claim as new :anddesire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1- A runnin board for a railway car, which car has a roof :made up orroof platen arranged in substantially the same with adjacent 4 upturnededges in abutting relation with respect to each other and having a seamcap over each of such abutting edge portions and riveting to such edgeportions at spaced intervals, said running board extending along thelongitudinal center line oi said car comprising transversely extendingend plates secured to. the running board for installation therewith uponthe car roof as a unit of the running board, the opposite outerendportions at said end plates each extending outwardly beyond; thelongitudinal edges of the running board and each perforated for thepassage of a rivet securing the seam cap to the upturned edges of'saidroof plates, said outer end portions of said end plates each extendingdownwardly and outwardly of the adjacent longitudiedge of running boardto a position in facial abutment with an adjacent surface of the seamcap to dispose the intermediate portion of said plates in a plane aboveany intermediate rivets positioned between said outer-end portions ofsaid end plates, sa-idrunning board having iongitudinal parallel-1yextending spaced apart reinforcing ribs intermediate the longitudinaledges thereof, the ends of said ribs being in abutment with the endplates and welded thereto.

2. A running board for a railway car, which car has a roof made up ofroof plates arranged in substantially the same plane with adjacentupturned edges in abuttin relation with respect to each other and havinga seam cap over each of such abutting edge portions andrivcted to suchedge portions at spaced intervals, said running board extending alongthe longitudinal center line of said car comprising transverselyextending end plates secured to the running board for installationtherewith upon the car roof as a unit of the running board, the oppositeouterend portions of said end plates each extending Outwardly beyond thelongitudinal edges oi the running board and each perforated for thepassage of. a rivet securing the seam cap to the upturned edges of saidroof plates, said. outer end portions of said end plates each extending,downwardly and outwardly of the adjacent longitudinaledge of therunningboard to. aposition iniaci'alahutment with any adiacent. surface .of theseam cap. the said end portions of said end plates being ofisetlaterally with respect to an adjacent. side thereof to space the majorportion .of said end plate from the adjacent side of the seamcapand todispose said maior portion of said plates ina plane above anyintermediate rivets. positioned between said outer end portions ofsaidendplates,

said running .bcardhaving longitudinal paralleIIY extending spaced apartreinforcing ribs intermediate thejlongitudinal edges thereof, the endsof said ribs being in abutment with the end plates and welded theretor3. A running board for arailway car whichcar has a roof made up ofproof. plates arranged'in substantially the same plane with .adiacen'tupturned edges 'in abutting relation with respect to each other andhaving a seam'eapoverleach of such abutting edge portions and riveted tosuch edge portions at spaced intervals, .said running board extendingalong the longitudinal center line of said car comprising transverselyextending end plates secured to the running board for installationtherewith upon the car'roof as a unit of the running board,theopposite-outer endportions or said end plates each extendingoutwardly beyond the longitudinal edges oi the running board and eachperforated .for the passage lot a rivet securing .theseamcap totheiuptumededges of said roof plates, the said end portions of said endplates being offset laterally with respect to an adjacent side thereofto space the major portion of said end plate from the adjacent side ofthe seam cap and to dispose said major portion of said plates in a planeabove any intermediate rivets positioned between said outer end portionsof said end plates, the longitudinal edges of said running boardextending downwardly and inwardly to provide a seating flange and saidend plates at their opposite end portions being notched to provide aseat for said seating flanges.

4. A running board for a railway car which car has a roof made up ofroof plates arranged in substantially the same plane with adjacentupturned edges in abutting relation with respect to each other andhaving a seam cap over each of such abutting edge portions and rivetedto such edge portions at spaced intervals, said running board extendingalong the longitudinal center lin of said car comprising transverselyextending end plates secured to the running board for installationtherewith upon the car roof as a unit of the running board, the oppositeouter end portions of said end plates each extending outwardly 2 beyondthe longitudinal edges of the running board and each perforated for thepassage of a rivet securing the seam cap to the upturned edges of saidroof plates, said outer end portions of said end plates each extendingdownwardly and outwardly of the adjacent longitudinal edge of therunning board to a position in facial abutment with an adjacent surfaceof the seam cap, the said end portions of said end plates being offsetlaterally with respect to an adjacent side thereof to space the majorportion of said end plate from the adjacent side of the seam cap and todispose said major portion of said plates in a plane above anyintermediate rivets positioned between said outer end portions of saidend plates, the longitudinal edges of said running board extendingdownwardly and inwardly to provide a seating flange and said end platesas their opposite end portions being notched to provide a seat for saidseating flanges.

CHARLES S. JOHNSTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

